Footrest for caskets



June 30, 1959 2,892,241

A. J. SORENSON FOOTREST FOR CASKETS Filed Dec. 5, 1956 Fic. 4

INVENTOR. ALFRED J. Seem/sou A TTORNEYS Unitcd W P 3 Q 2,852,241 'Tjro fcasrcETs Alfred Sorenson, Grayling, Application December 5, 1956, Serial No. 626,325

This invention relates to caskets and particularly to a footrest for caskets.

In the present-day manufacture of caskets, the caskets are constructed in certain standard sizes. As a result, when the body of a deceased person is placed in the casket, seldom, if ever, is the size of the casket or burial case of the right size for the body. It is oftentimes necessary to utilize a casket which is larger, particularly in length, than the length of the body. When a casket of greater length is used, it is very often possible and likely that the position of the body in the casket may shift when the casket containing the body is being handled, for example, when the casket is moved from one place to another, such as from a funeral parlor to a church, from a church to a cemetery, or in shipping from one place to another by train, airplane or any other means of transportation. Such movement of the body of the deceased person relative to the casket often necessitates rather prompt readjustment on the part of the mortician when the casket is opened, which may be particularly diflicult especially when laymen are present. a movement may be particularly embarrassing and emotionally disturbing to the relatives and friends who may happen to observe the body in the shifted position.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a footrest which will prevent the movement of the body of a deceased person longitudinally in the casket.

It is a further object of the invention to provide such a footrest which is adjustable longitudinally of the casket to accommodate bodies of different lengths and to securely hold a body of lesser length than the casket.

It is a further object of the invention to provide such a footrest which is adjustable in width so that it may be used on caskets of varying widths.

It is a further object of the invention to provide such a footrest which may be made at low cost.

It is a further object of the invention to provide such a footrest which has limited angular movement about a horizontal axis, permitting the footrest to be self-adjusting to the angularity of the feet of the body of a deceased person.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a casket embodying the invention, parts of the casket being broken away.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view, on an enlarged scale, taken along the line 2--2 in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view, on a greatly enlarged scale, taken along the line 33 in Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along the line 44 in Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view similar to Fig. 3 showing a modified form of mounting bracket.

Referring to Fig. 1, -a casket of ordinary construction comprises a bottom wall 11, end walls 12, 13, side walls 14, and a sectional cover 16. The casket shown is made of wood, but the casket may also be made of metal or other suitable material. Brackets 17 are mounted on the inner sides of side walls 14, 15 and extend In addition, such' 2,892,241 Patented June 30, 1959 ice longitudinally of the casket. As shown in Figs. 2 and 3, each bracket 17 is generally L-shaped in cross section and comprises a vertical leg 18 and a horizontal leg 19. Eachbracket 17 is supported on its respective side wall by screws 20 passing through holes in vertical leg 18. Horizontal leg 19 of bracket 17 is provided with a plurality of spaced circular openings 21 extending along the length of vertical leg 18.

The footrest comprises a plate 22 mounted on a metal rod 23. Rod 23 has a central portion 24 and arms 25 bent at an angle to central portion 24. Central portion 24 and arms 25 lie in a single plane. The ends 26 of arms 25 are turned downwardly out of the plane of portions 24 and arms 25. Plate 22 is supported on central portion 24 by means of hooks 27 which are riveted to the plate and bent around central portion 24.

The ends of plate 22 are provided with notches 28, and arms 25 are bent and extend partially through the notches 28 thereby holding plate 22 at substantially right angles to the plane of central portion 24 and arms 25. The width of each notch 28 is slightly greater than the diameter of rod 23 so that plate 22 has limited angular movement about the axis of rod portion 24, as shown in Fig. 4.

The footrest is supported on brackets 17 by positioning arms '25 in such a manner that ends 26 thereof project through openings 21 in brackets 17. As shown in Fig. 3, when the footrest is in position, the weight of plate 22 causes the rod to wedge ends 26 in openings 21.

In use, the body of a deceased person is placed in proper position in the casket and then the footrest, namely, plate 22, is brought into contact with the feet of the body. Arms 25 are then moved downwardly to bring ends 26 thereof into engagement with openings 21 on brackets 17. The limited angular movement of plate 22 permits the footrest to accommodate for any variance in angularity of the feet from the vertical.

In order to adjust the footrest so it may be used with caskets of different widths, it is only necessary to bend arms 25 toward or away from central portion 24 of rod 23. In order to adjust for a casket of greater width, arms 25 are bent outwardly away from central portion 24 and in order to adjust for a casket of lesser width, arms 25 are bent inwardly toward central portion 24.

When the footrest is to be used on metal caskets, brackets 17 may be supported in a suitable manner by the metal casket. As shown, for example, in Fig. 5, side wall 14 of a metal casket includes an inwardly turned, peripheral flange 29 and a downwardly extending flange 30. Hangers 31 are bolted to flange 30 by means of bolts 32 at longitudinally spaced points along the length of the casket, and brackets 17 are suspended on hangers 31 by bolts 33.

When in position, the footrest effectively restrains the longitudinal movement of the body in one direction in the casket. Since the upper part of the body is usually propped in some manner, this restraint in one direction is sufficient to prevent any longitudinal movement of the body.

I claim:

1. In a casket structure, the combination comprising a casket having a bottom wall and side walls, a pair of mounting brackets, each said mounting bracket having a vertical side wall portion and a horizontal portion, fastening means through each said vertical side wall portion for fastening each bracket to a side wall of the casket with the horizontal portion of the bracket extending longitudinally of the casket, each said bracket having a plurality of longitudinally spaced openings extending vertically through said horizontal portion, and a footrest comprising a pair of rigid arms, a rigid plate extending between the lower ends of said arms, said arms being ing means through each said vertical side wall portion for 10 fastening each bracket to a side wall of the casket with the horizontal portion of the bracket extending longituidnally of the casket, each said bracket having a plurality of longitudinally spaced openings extending vertically through said horizontal portion, and a footrest 15 comprising a rigid metal rod having a central portion extending substantially horizontally and integral arms bent at an angle to the central portion and inclined upwardly, the upper ends of said arms being bent downwardly and engaging a pa of holes in said brackets, a sheet metal plate pivotally supported on the central portion of said rod, said plate having notches formed in the ends thereof, said arms extending through said notches and holding said plate at an angle to a plane passing through said central portion and arms of said rod, the width of each said notch being slightly greater than the diameter of said rod wherebysa'id plate has limited angular movement relative to .said rod, the major portion of said plate extending below said central portion of said rod.

References Cited in the file' 'of this patent UNITED ST-ATESPATENTS 340,528 Stockton Apr. 20, 1866 478,568 Clouser July 12, 1892 2,459,335 Pope Jan. 18, 1949 

